Rooney makes subtle jibe at Ronaldo over awards

Wayne Rooney has made a subtle jibe at Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming his former team-mate is fixated on winning individual awards.

Published

12 June 2014

The pair were together at Manchester United between 2004 and 2009, during which time they won three Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League in 2008.

Ronaldo moved on to Real Madrid for a then-world-record fee of £80million in 2009, and the Portuguese star's stellar performances in the Spanish capital have elevated him to a level where many consider him the best player on the planet.

Ronaldo's form in 2013 led to him being awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the second time.

And Rooney has suggested that the 29-year-old is motivated by such prizes, while he is more focused on helping the collective.

"I'm not a player who needs individual awards like Cristiano Ronaldo," Rooney said in a press conference ahead of England's FIFA World Cup opener with Italy on Saturday.

"He has to have that and you admire him for that.

"I'm more about winning things as a team.

"You can see how he is. He wants his moments. It's more important for me to win trophies as a team.

"I've won PFA Player of the Year, which is nowhere near as good as winning a trophy with Manchester United.